Automatic identification of storage requirements, such as for use in selling data storage management solutions

• US 10,459,710 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kripalani, Sanjay Harakhchand
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Tina
• Application Number:
  US15/694,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for demonstrating a replacement information management software for a computing system. The methods may include determining if existing information management software is installed in the computing system. The methods may include identifying computing devices of the computing system using information from the existing information management software. The methods may include simulating the replacement information management software with characteristics of the identified computing devices to enable a user to experience the replacement information management software prior to committing to installing the replacement information management software in the computing system. The methods may include automatically installing the replacement information management software. Other implementations are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for demonstrating a new data storage and recovery software, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

at least one data storage device, coupled to the at least one hardware processor, wherein the at least one data storage device stores instructions, which when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the at least one processor to;

determine whether existing data storage and recovery software is installed in a computing system having multiple networked computing devices;

if the existing data storage and recovery software is installed in the computing system, identify the multiple networked computing devices of the computing system based on a system content file associated with the existing data storage and recovery software,

wherein identifying the multiple networked computing devices includes employing a discovery agent to;

locate, in a file system of a managing computing device among the multiple networked computing devices, the system content file by searching one or more predetermined paths in the file system of the managing computing device, wherein the one or more predetermined paths are hardcoded into the discovery agent; and

extract characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices from the system content file;

simulate the new data storage and recovery software, based on the extracted characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices;

provide a list of software licenses for the multiple networked computing devices of the computing system to operate with the new data storage and recovery software; and

install the new data storage and recovery software onto the multiple networked computing devices to enable operation of the new data storage and recovery software within the computing system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein simulating the new data storage and recovery software is performed by a computing device located remotely to the computing system to simulate services for multiple computing systems that are owned or operated by different organizations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise:

provide a user with a selection of multiple configurations of the multiple networked computing devices within the new data storage and recovery software, and

wherein the new data storage and recovery software is installed according to one of the multiple configurations selected by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise:

copy the extracted characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices into a database for use by the new data storage and recovery software to enable the new data storage and recovery software to manage backup jobs and stored backup copies that were created by the existing data storage and recovery software prior to at an installation or operation of the new data storage and recovery software.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the new data storage and recovery software manages and executes data storage policies, data recovery policies, data retention policies, data archiving policies, and data life-cycle management.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein simulating the new data storage and recovery software includes providing multiple configurations of the multiple networked computing devices arranged in the simulation of the new data storage and recovery software to enable the user to select a preferred one of the multiple configurations for installation in the computing system.

7. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying instructions which, when executed by at least one data processor, perform operations to demonstrate replacement information management software to a user of a computing system having existing information management software, wherein the computing system includes multiple networked computing devices, the operations comprising:

by a discovery agent, identifying the multiple networked computing devices based on system data generated by the existing information management software, wherein at least one of the multiple networked computing devices is a managing computing device for the existing information management software, and wherein identifying the multiple networked computing devices includes;

locating the system data in a file system of the managing computing device, and wherein locating the system data includes searching one or more predetermined paths in the file system;

by the discovery agent, extracting characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices from the system data;

by the discovery agent, presenting a simulation of the replacement information management software, wherein the simulation simulates using the multiple networked computing devices based on the characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices extracted from the system data, and wherein the simulation includes displaying a user interface for the replacement information management software, and wherein the user interface enables the user to test features of the replacement information management software with simulated versions of the multiple networked computing devices;

wherein the one or more predetermined paths are hardcoded into the discovery agent; and

wherein the system data is included in a system content file.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

copying the extracted characteristics of the multiple networked computing devices into a database for use by the replacement information management software to enable installation of the replacement information management software to manage backup jobs and stored backup copies that were created by the existing information management software prior to the installation of the replacement information management software.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein locating the system data in the file system of the managing computing device further includes:

searching directories of the file system, if searching the one or more predetermined paths in the file system of the managing computing device fails to result in locating the system content file;

or

receiving a file system path of the system content file from the user via the user interface, if searching the one or more predetermined paths in the file system of the managing computing device fails to result in locating the system content file.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the replacement information management software manages and executes data storage policies, data recovery policies, data retention policies, data archiving policies, and data life-cycle management.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the simulation includes providing multiple configurations of the multiple networked computing devices arranged in the simulation of the replacement information management software to enable the user to select a preferred one of the multiple configurations for installation in the computing system.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein locating the system data in the file system of the managing computing device, further includes:

searching directories of a file system of a network management computing device, if searching the one or more predetermined paths in the file system of the managing computing device fails to result in locating the system content file;

or

receiving a file system path of the system content file from the user via the user interface, if searching the one or more predetermined paths in the file system of the managing computing device fails to result in locating the system content file.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

installing, with the discovery agent, the replacement information management software in accordance with preferred one of multiple configurations of the multiple networked computing devices to enable operation of the replacement information management software within the computing system.

14. A method for use on a computing system to analyze a potential customer'"'"'s existing computing system, wherein the computing system includes multiple computing devices networked together, the method comprising:

executing a discovery agent, wherein the discovery agent is a software tool installed on the potential customer'"'"'s existing computing system;

by the discovery agent, obtaining information from an existing information management software product in use by the potential customer, wherein the discovery agent is configured to analyze and generate an inventory of hardware and software resources of the existing computing system,

wherein the discovery agent identifies a managing computing device among the hardware and software resources of the existing computing system, and obtains a system content file of the existing computing system by searching, in a file system of the managing computing device, one or more data paths hardcoded into the discovery agent;

uploading the inventory of hardware and software resources of the existing computing system to an information management simulator,

wherein the inventory comprises characteristics of the hardware and software resources of the existing computing system extracted by the discovery agent from the system content file; and

by the information management simulator, displaying an interface to enable the potential customer to experience a replacement information management software product in simulated operation on the software and hardware resources of the existing computing system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the discovery agent is configured to display a list of recommended software or hardware resources to support an upgrade to the replacement information management software product.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the discovery agent is configured to display an overall price sheet to license the replacement information management software product and display an online shopping cart to permit the potential customer to purchase a license.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the discovery agent is configured to display the inventory of hardware and software resources of the existing computing system, and a shopping list with suggested software products to support an installation of the replacement information management software product.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein when an existing information management software product is not in use by the potential customer, the discovery agent is configured to crawl or search through the existing computing system to identify the hardware and software resources of the existing computing system.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the discovery agent is configured to display reports for transitioning to the replacement information management software product, wherein the reports include a license summary report and a backup jobs summary report.